Coroner IDs man killed by Long Beach police

LONG BEACH — The Los Angeles Coroner's office identified a suspected car thief fatally shot by police Thursday morning after he crashed into a home in East Long Beach and allegedly opened fire on officers.

Christopher Allen Taylor, 19, died Thursday morning in East Long Beach after allegedly exchanging gunfire with police.

He was suspected in a burglary in Redondo Beach and pursued by Long Beach police shortly before 1 a.m. after he had eluded the California Highway Patrol. Taylor was suspected of burglarizing a home and stealing a white BMW, Long Beach Police Sgt. Aaron Eaton said.

The CHP lost the suspect as he exited the San Diego (405) Freeway at Studebaker Road. Long Beach police then located the suspect shortly after and chased him to the 6400 block of Keynote Street near Los Coyotes Diagonal.

There, Taylor lost control of his vehicle and crashed into the garage of a vacant home and hit an orange car parked in the driveway, Eaton said.

Taylor allegedly fired a handgun at officers before he was killed by return fire. Taylor died at the scene, Eaton said, adding that a handgun was recovered.

No officers were injured.

Redondo Beach police Sgt. Shawn Freeman said the BMW was stolen sometime between 8:30 p.m. and midnight from outside of a house in the 1600 block of Morgan Lane in Redondo Beach.

Its owners arrived home, saw that their car was missing from their driveway and discovered someone had broken into their home and taken the car's keys, Freeman said.

Redondo Beach police put out a description of the car and its license plate, which led the California Highway Patrol officers to spot it on the 405 Freeway.